DUCKS UNLIMITED

LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN PROGRAM 1999-2007

August 2007

LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN (LAC) PROGRAM 1999-2007

Of the 50 species of waterfowl found in Latin America and the Caribbean, 14 are shared with North America. None of have been studied in detail, but at least four species are known to be threatened. Habitat deterioration continues at great pace and maybe more species are gradually becoming threatened at a faster rate than we can imagine. Caribbean wetlands are probably some of the least known, least protected and most threatened. Threats to the integrity of these fragile wetland ecosystems include unsustainable tourism activities, land reclamation, waste-dumping, introduction of invasive species, and over-fishing. The results are erosion, sedimentation and pollution, which affect populations of waterfowl using these wetlands in a negative way. Concern and awareness over the impact of climate change and rising sea levels to small island states is increasing since most of their wetlands are on the coast. In spite of the many functions performed by coastal wetlands, such as storm and flood mitigation, retention of nutrients, shoreline stabilization and tourism, and the many products generated, few wetlands in the Caribbean have any sort of protection, let alone management plans, especially within the context of watersheds. The narrow strip of land that connects North and South America constitutes Central America. Less than 1,000 miles long and 300 miles wide, this region has very diverse wetlands. Deforestation in the foothills and mountains, unwise agricultural practices, widespread use of dangerous agrochemicals, and reclamation of wetlands for agricultural plantations, including banana, rice, and sugar cane, are just a few of the many threats to which these wetlands are exposed. However, these wetlands are of extreme importance both for wildlife and humans. South American wetlands share many of the same problems as Central America and the Caribbean. This is a thinly populated continent where human populations are mostly concentrated in a few very large cities. Unfortunately, countries have enormous foreign debts and governments are working to attract

large financial investments and develop economic policies that put development and conservation into serious conflict. Because DU considers that conservation efforts at the breeding grounds in North America must be accompanied by conservation efforts in both staging and wintering grounds to ensure the annual life cycle of migratory species, it established the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Program in 1999. The goal of the LAC Program was to deliver expertise on research and monitoring of waterfowl populations, and management, enhancement, and restoration of wetland habitats to the region. Through partnerships with both national and international institutions and a sound and well focused strategy, DU has contributed to the development of institutional capacity in the LAC countries while also helping establish several projects on the ground to address specific conservation issues and identifying additional sites where conservation measures are urgently required. To define habitat conservation priorities, it was necessary to gather basic information. However, at the same time habitat projects could begin at sites where conservation issues were clearly identified and local partners required DU’s expertise to move forward faster. Thus, the following initiatives and projects were developed between 1999 and 2007:

− Waterbird Surveys Initiative: the core of the LAC Program, through which important wetland conservation issues have been identified, and knowledge of the distribution and chronology of migratory waterfowl in the region has improved (www.ducks.org/lac/waterfowlsurveys);

− Wetland Inventory Initiative: provides information gathered from not only

DU’s projects and initiatives (i.e. Waterbird Surveys Initiative) but also other sources (www.ducks.org/lac/wetlandinventory);

− Upper Paraguay River GIS Database: an ambitious project to provide the

largest fresh water wetland in the world with a shared GIS database built entirely by colleagues in Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay (www.ducks.org/lac/pantanal/project);

− Nariva Swamp Restoration Initiative: a show case project to rehabilitate

the hydrology of this important Ramsar site, and restore its functions for the benefit of wildlife and the local communities through sustainable use and Carbon sequestration (www.ducks.org/lac/nariva/initiative);

− Laguna Cabral Wildlife Management Initiative: a complex management

project involving large numbers of migratory and resident waterbirds, drastic changes in hydrology and a large watershed with multiple shareholders up- and down-stream (www.ducks.org/lac/cabral/initiative);

− Wetland management and restoration projects carried out by colleagues in LAC with technical or financial input from DU, including:

• Brazil, Habitat needs of the Brazilian Merganser

www.ducks.org/lac/brmerganser• Colombia, Management Evaluation of the Wetlands in Valle del Río

Cauca www.ducks.org/lac/cauca

• Costa Rica, Rehabilitation of the Palo Verde marsh in Palo Verde National Park and Ramsar Site: www.ducks.org/lac/paloverde/project

• The Bahamas, Restoration of Hydrology in Andros’ Creeks www.ducks.org/lac/bahamascreeks

• Venezuela, Monitoring Wetlands and Waterfowl in Los Llanos www.ducks.org/lac/losllanos

− Training and public awareness materials such as Know your Ducks (book

and poster), Waterfowl of the Neotropical Region (book, www.ducks.org/anatneotrop), analysis of duck band recoveries in LAC, web site (www.ducks.org/lac/homepage), project mapping applications (www.ducks.org/lac/gateway), and more than 15 training workshops and symposia.

DU’s efforts in LAC, though occurring over a short period of time, had a profound impact thanks to the collaboration of our colleagues in the different countries. We hope they will continue to achieve important conservation results. Finally, DU would not have been able to develop the LAC Program without the generous support of:

Anonymous Foundation USDA Forest Service - International Programs

US Fish and Wildlife Service - Division of Bird Habitat Conservation US Fish and Wildlife Service - Division of International Conservation

US Fish and Wildlife Service - Division of Migratory Bird Management US Geological Survey - National Biological Information Infrastructure

LightHawk Canadian Wildlife Service

National Science Foundation Ivan Lines

- The Ducks Unlimited Latin America and the Caribbean Program was closed in August 2007 -

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (LAC) WATERBIRD SURVEYS, WETLAND INVENTORY, AND BAND RECOVERY ANALYSIS

Until DU begun to accumulate information on waterbird distribution and their chronology, scattered data indicated that Central America, the Caribbean, and at least the northern portion of South America were of great importance to migratory waterfowl from North America. For example: − in the 1970s in Palo Verde, Costa Rica, it was easy to observe 60,000 blue-

winged teal (Anas discors), and several hundred each of Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata), American Wigeon (Anas strepera), Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) and Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis);

− DU’s own 1994 Continental Conservation Plan indicated that most Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) winter in northern South America, with most occurring in the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta in Colombia;

− an aerial survey in the late 1970s over a portion of the coastal wetlands in Suriname indicated at least 20,000 blue-winged teal (Anas discors); and

− both White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) and Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens) were common winter visitors to Cuba, while Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors), Northern Pintail (Anas acuta), American Wigeon (Anas strepera), Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata), Wood-duck (Aix sponsa), Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris), and Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) are still common.

Photo by J. Sánchez

DU begun to gather basic information in 1999 through partnerships with organizations and colleagues in LAC in order to identify important wetland habitats and define conservation priorities based on numbers, species diversity and location of waterfowl. The ability to use quantitative criteria to direct wetland conservation efforts is a conservation tool that still is not widely available to

managers, decision-makers, and conservationists in Latin America and the Caribbean. More than 300 colleagues from 13 different countries in the Caribbean, Central America and northern South America, have gathered data on the distribution and numbers of waterbirds from 1999-2007. DU provided training, worked towards common standards and methodologies, and expanded the number of wetlands and countries included in the surveys. The information gained from eight years of survey data has helped identify some very important wetlands for waterbirds, including the designation of new Ramsar sites, establishment of protected areas, and development of management needs.

All the national reports and tables resulting from the analysis of the data can be found at: www.ducks.org/lac/waterfowlsurveys The mapping application supporting the information geographically can be found at: www.ducks.org/lac/interactivemaps Additionally, the complete LAC Waterbird Surveys data is housed at the Avian Knowledge Network

database, of Cornell University´s Lab of Ornithology in the USA and can be found at: www.avianknowledge.net

Distribution of Migratory Waterfowl in LACDistribución de Anátidas Migratorias en LAC

DU Surveys Results / Resultados de Conteos de DU(1999-2007)

Santa Marta, CO

Laguna Cabral, DR

Cerrón Grande, ES

Charco Tisma, NI

Blue Creek Village, BZ

Lago Nicaragua, NI

Palo Verde, CR

Crooked Tree Lagoon, BZ

Estero Real, NI

Lago Managua, NI

810,000Sta. Marta

115,662L. Cabral

74,760C. Grande

25,00029,200

40,707

21,107 21,000 18,099

14,210

In addition to surveys, knowledge of wetland sites was also required to achieve the LAC Program objectives. “A Directory of Neotropical Wetlands”, partially funded by DU and completed in the early 1980s, generated a great deal of interest within the LAC countries due to the amount of information it provided. While the Directory included more than 800 wetland sites, there were important gaps in the data even for small countries like those in Central America or the Caribbean. In the last 20 years abundant new information was gathered by countries as well as other international organizations, mostly at the national level.

DU’s LAC Wetland Inventory represents the first step towards the development of a comprehensive database for all wetlands in the Caribbean, Central America and South America and includes information from: − “A Directory of Neotropical

Wetlands” in digital format; − data for sites included in the

Waterbird Surveys Initiative; − data for wetlands of

international importance under the Ramsar Convention;

− data for the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network sites; and

− data from Wetland International’s Neotropical Waterbird Census.

This information is available at: www.ducks.org/lac/wetlandinventory

The US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service have banded birds since the early 1900s. The information accumulated in their database dates back to 1920. It was used to carry out a preliminary analysis at the regional level, in an attempt to get a historical perspective of changes over more than five decades, with regard to species that

migrate to LAC. In total, more than 18 million waterfowl have been banded and approximately 2.5 million bands have been recovered. While most bands have been recovered in North America, over 10,000 have come from LAC. The results of this analysis can be found at: www.ducks.org/lac/waterfowlsurveys

- The Ducks Unlimited Latin America and the Caribbean Program was closed in August 2007 -

NARIVA SWAMP RESTORATION INITIATIVE TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

The Nariva Swamp is a tropical, freshwater to brackish, coastal wetland located on the Caribbean island of Trinidad. It is the largest and most diverse wetland system in the country, with 6,234 hectares (15,400 acres) that provide diverse habitat for numerous plant and animal species, including large numbers of waterbirds and small populations of endangered manatee and anaconda. The swamp was designated a wetland of international importance in 1993 under the Ramsar Convention. Photo by M.Carbonell Particular problems at Nariva Swamp arise from the use of water resources. In the 1960s, the Navet Dam was built up-stream and diverts water from the Navet River to the western part of the country that otherwise would flood into Nariva. Also in the 1960s, “Sector A” (500 hectares, 1,236 acres) was developed for

ment, and water in the northern part of the swamp sent through a system of canals, pumps and sluices, first to the agriculture fields and then directly out into the ocean through the Nariva River. In addition, extensive areas of the swamp, although almost entirely state owned, were subjected in the 1980s and 1990s to deforestation and illegal rice farming. These squatters were evicted and finally removed in 1998. However, all the human activities combined (legal and illegal) have drastically altered the landscape and the ecological integrity of the area.

agricultural purposes by the Govern

1999, the Government of Trinidad and InTobago, through collaboration with DU, the USDA Forest Service – International Programs, the US Fish and Wildlife Service,

and various national experts, prepared a work plan for the restoration of Nariva

Swamp. The plan addressed some recommendations in the Nariva Swamp Management Plan and environmental impact assessment undertaken in 1996 by the Institute of Marine Affairs for the Forestry Division of Trinidad and Tobago. The work plan focused on the restoration of the hydrology, aquatic vegetation and forests, and on the implementation of a fire-fighting program for the area. Since adequate information to establish a baseline for comparison was not

ariva was recently declared an Environmentally Sensitive Area which provides

Several communities depend on

rk.

he Environmental Management Authority of Trinidad and Tobago

available, it was necessary to use Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing technology to obtain information on the historical and present conditions of the Nariva Swamp. An analysis of historical landscape changes, the hydrology, a restoration scenario with recommendations for the rehabilitation of the hydrology, and fire management were completed in 2005, and improved in 2007. Nthe highest degree of protection in Trinidad and Tobago. However, human activities continue to threaten Nariva, including oil exploration and exploitation, intentional fires for fields “cleaning” and poaching, and ecotourism that does not take into account the existing potential of the local communities. Unfortunately these will persist until the Government is able to provide adequate on-site protection.

and influence the ecological integrity of the Nariva Swamp. They are the main users and guardians of the area, and have established the Nariva Environmental Trust and a volunteer fire brigade composed entirely of local inhabitants. Through them, the project obtained much on-the-ground information, suggestions, and At their request, several fire

management workshops were conducted, including the use of GPS units and the purchasing of special materials and tools for fire fighting.

potential outcomes of the restoration woPhoto by M.Carbonell

T(http://www.ema.co.tt) will house and maintain the Nariva Swamp Restoration Initiative database. At present the final report and other documents are available on-line at: www.ducks.org/lac/nariva/initiative and the geographic representation of the results can be found in the mapping application: http://gis.ducks.org/NarivaSwamp

- The Ducks Unlimited Latin America and the Caribbean Program was closed in August 2007 -

LAGUNA CABRAL WILDLIFE REFUGE MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

The Laguna Cabral Wildlife Refuge in the Dominican Republic comprises approximately 4,700 hectares (11,614 acres), including Laguna Cabral, the

largest freshwater wetland in the country, and surrounding tropical and subtropical dry forest. This area is a unique combination of a wetland surrounded by tropical and subtropical forests, resulting in very rich fauna and flora. Data from DU’s Waterfowl Surveys revealed that Laguna Cabral is one of the top three wetlands for waterfowl in the Central America, Caribbean and northern South America

region. It is also an Important Bird Area, and is in the process of being designated as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. The tropical and subtropical dry forest surrounding the lagoon is one of the few remnants in the country. Laguna Cabral is now a highly modified system, and changes in its hydrology include the construction of two upstream dams, the dredging and straightening of canals, and the building of a road surrounding half of the lagoon’s perimeter –acting as a dike. As a result, the area of open water in the lagoon is now determined artificially. Other threats include persistent illegal hunting andfishing, unsustainable use of water for irrigation, erosion problems due to overgrazing, and uncontrolled use of fires. In addition, the Laguna Cabral Wildlife Refuge limits have not been delineated

Photo by E. Vásquez

adeq ent recognized that better under ogy and adequate technical

formation was needed to develop a management plan for the Laguna Cabral Wildlife Refuge. In partnership with the USDA Forest Service–International

rograms, Tinglar and DU used Geographical Information Systems and remote ensing technology to evaluate landscape changes, hydrology, and needs for fire

Data accumulated suggests that before human activitidepths of Laguna Cabral used to fluctuate according talso over long periods of time due to hurricanes orliterature indicates that originally, water accumulateseasonal rivers and streams during the short rainy seadel Sur River spilling over its margins and creeks, and

Llocal coon Laguna Cabral, and their full participatiTinglar isecotourismand firestowers ansigns havand photopurchased

ustainable management of the LCWR cannot be accomplished if water, the s not considered. Consequently it its hydrology to guarantee both the

e use of water by the communities

ary, some recommendations have ideration and possible use in the ement plan. The final database for housed and maintained by the biente y Recursos Naturales

uately and land tenure has not been legally established. The Governmstanding if the hydrol

in

Psmanagement.

es modified the system, the o wet and dry seasons, and periods of drought. The d in Laguna Cabral from son, flooding of the Yaque

from springs.

mmunities depend directly

on is essential. To this aim providing workshops on , wildlife management,

. To date, observation d a 3.5km footpath with e been built, and a boat voltaic system have been to take tourists onto the

lagoon while causing little disturbance to its natural resources.

Sfundamental characteristic of this ecosystem iis imperative to have a good understanding ofconservation of its natural resources and thand agriculture. Although the results of this project are preliminbeen made to the authorities for their consdevelopment and implementation of a managthe Laguna Cabral Wildlife Refuge will beSecretaría de Estado de Medio Am(www.medioambiente.gov.do) and by th(

e Grupo Ecologista Tinglar http://www.geocities.com/tinglar). The full rep

Refuge Initiative can be downloaded from: ort of the Laguna Cabral Wildlife

www.ducks.org/lac/cabral/initiative mapping application: and the data is displayed geographically in the

http://gis.ducks.org/LagunaCabral

- The Ducks Unlimited Latin America and the Caribbean Program was closed in August 2007 -

UPPER PARAGUAY RIVER BASIN GIS DATABASE BOLIVIA, BRAZIL AND PARAGUAY

The Pantanal is the vast floodplain of the Upper Paraguay River Basin (UPRB)

at covers an estimated 15 million hectares (37 million acres) in Bolivia, Brazil,

errado, and Atlantic Forest regions. The Pantanal remains mostly in pristinecondition. However, clearing of land foagriculture and cattle production, soerosion and siltation from indiscriminatefarming, fires, mining, unplanned tourismand the construction of gas pipelines androads are threatening the integrity of thiunique ecosystem. In addition, the HidrovíaProject, which proposes to make theParaguay River navigable for commerciaand transport vessels, could irreparabl

pact this fragile ecosystem if not planned and developed properly.

there is still no comprehensive conservation plan. Different

se with a tanal was identified as an important tool

ecessary to facilitate conservation efforts and the development of conservation plans.

thand Paraguay. Approximately 73% of the Pantanal is covered with water, making it the largest continuous freshwater wetland in the world. This area is one of the most productive ecosystems, with fauna and flora characteristic of the Amazon, Chaco, C

r il ,

s l

y im

Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay are trying to manage the natural resources of the Pantanal, but

projects had basic Geographic Information System s (GIS) data layers for the area they covered, but they were not international in scale and lacked the detailed information necessary for wetland management and conservation decision-making on the landscape level. A GIS databa

Photo by M.Carbonell

common data format for the Pann

The goal of to improved management and conse the UPRB through the development of a GIS database and a data distribution network. The main objective of this project was to develop a standardized GIS database that wouldnable users to access and exchange information. This database established a aseline environmental inventory of the Pantanal including, vegetation,

, management, restoration, and also be developed to predict the

es may have on this ecosystem.

rtnership with the USDA Forest – International Programs, and

several local agencies in South America, DU started a Pilot Project in 2000 that

d remote sensing and GIS ques to a tri-national area.

s were tested and adjusted, and nmental data for resource gement of the UPRB were ed. The results were published in The Pilot Project also created a rk of professionals and improved apacity in each of the partner

izations.

oject, the consortium of partner organizations expaand broad

management tools, and the methods used, dthrough the Pilot Project and ancillary activprojects in the UPRB by partners in South Amin 2004, provides a compilation of the resultsthese successful conservation projects. The Pantanal database is being housed at Dde Pesquisa Agropecuaria (EMBRAPA, www

the UPRB GIS Database project was to contribute rvation of natural resources of

ebwatersheds, conservation planning, detection of environmental changes, land-use maps, legislation, and data sets for GIS modeling. Users can generate maps and GIS models to assist in conservationdelineation of protected areas. Models can impacts that development and land-use chang

In paService

applietechniMethodenviromanaobtain2003.netwoGIS corgan Following the Pilot Pr

nded beyond the pilot area. GIS remote sensing technologies

ly employed as resource-ata gathered, and results obtained ities were applied to conservation erica. A second report, published

and information generated through

U, however, the Empresa Brasilera .embrapa.br) in Brazil has already

er that will house and provide public The UPRB project reports can be

received the datasets and is setting up a servaccess to all the information permanently. found in: www.ducks.org/lac/pantanal/project and the on-line mapping application in: www.ducks.org/lac/pantanal/mapapplication.

- The Ducks Unlimited Latin America and the Caribbean Program was closed in August 2007 -

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